Copper indium diselenide (CuInSe2, or CIS) and its higher band gap variants copper indium gallium diselenide (Cu(In,Ga)Se2, or CIGS), copper indium aluminum diselenide (Cu(In,Al)Se2), copper indium gallium aluminum diselenide (Cu(In,Ga,Al)Se2) and any of these compounds with sulfur replacing some of the selenium represent a group of materials, referred to as copper indium selenide CIS based alloys, having desirable properties for use as the absorber layer in thin-film solar cells. To function as a solar absorber layer, these materials should be p-type semiconductors. This may be accomplished by establishing a slight deficiency in copper, while maintaining a chalcopyrite crystalline structure. In CIGS, gallium usually replaces 20% to 30% of the normal indium content to raise the band gap; however, there are significant and useful variations outside of this range. If gallium is replaced by aluminum, smaller amounts of aluminum are used to achieve the same band gap.